In June 2001 there was a three-day conference in Gjakova, and that’s when I met Pastor Skender. This was the only time I met with him briefly.
Indeed, a long period of time passed and
Skender and I didn’t have
any contact. However, in 2004, we started having Pastors’ meetings and
it was during that time that I took charge of Besimi Biblik (Biblical Faith) church in Kosovo. It was then, that Skender
and I started having more meaningful and long conversations.
I liked his character and his words would match his actions. He was straightforward and would not talk behind anyone’s back.
So, our friendship started to get stronger. And we started to have more interactions with each other. I and the other leaders of Besimi Biblik (Biblical Faith) started inviting Pastor Skender to preach in our church and in other gatherings we had. From all the twelve leaders from other churches in the city of Gjakova,
the deepest connection remained with Skender.
Therefore, we started to collaborate together and I sent some youth from my church in his camp in Deqan (a city in Kosovo).
So we continued our collaboration and friendship till the moment God decided to separate us.
Now, the work that I do for the glory of God is that I have four to five services in the villages of Kosovo with Besimi Biblik (Biblical Faith) church. When Roger was alive, he also came with me to visit this church so that he can see the services. And now, these services are part of Mission Kosovo team. It all happened because of me
and Skender wanting to work together for the Kingdom of God.Now, Roger Primrose was a missionary who founded the work in Gjakova that became Mission Kosovo (Pastor Skender’s
Church Congregation).
Now, what I work extra is preaching every Sunday in Mission Kosovo church, prayer meetings, visiting families and evangelizing in these families.
I’m also helping Valbona and the kids with errands and things they need, especially looking for an apartment that is legal and affordable for them.
I would like to start youth ministry, children ministry, Bible studies but for now, we don’t have a building to gather properly and that’s the barrier. Please keep us in your prayers.
The past year has been marked with lots of events: Pastor Skender coming to America, his injury, his death, and burial. Starting January 8, 2017, life took a different shift for the church, especially for Valbona, Debora, Sara, and Sion. The timeline of life before and after Pastor Skender’s death was marked forever in Valbona’s and the kids’ life.God has been taking care of them always meeting every need. He also provided an apartment for them which Balkans Partners rents every month. Something we are praying to keep continuing to do through your support and your prayers. However, they are keeping their Sunday services over at Valbona’s apartment as well every week. In the beginning, they started having the services sometimes at Pastor Selman’s house and sometimes at Valbona’s house.Pastor Selman is the one leading the services. Meanwhile, the church is in need of a place to gather every Sunday and other days when needed. For now, there has been no place to rent yet. Please pray with us as we continue to search for an adequate and affordable place to rent for the church so that it can meet their needs. Valbona and the kids need money every month for rent, food, water, electricity and other expenses. Balkans Partners is also on a search for a new apartment to buy for Valbona and the kids so that they can call it home after everything that happened. For now, we are in need of raising support since the dollar exchange rate is changing every month. And unfortunately, the dollar rate to euros is growing weaker. The main issue right now is that the apartments in Kosovo need to be legalized. All the apartments that are being built have no legalization while in the process. After the building is all finished and people buy the apartment complex it is then that the building is legalized. This is also another huge reason we want to wait so that we can purchase one with legalized papers in our hand.
Please continue to keep the church in Gjakova in your prayers.
Requests:
For a place that the church can gather and worship our Savior
For an apartment for Valbona and the kids
For support with monthly expenses for Pastor Skender’s family
It has been almost 10 months since Pastor Skender was buried and went to be with Jesus.
Last year in October and November, Pastor Skender was visiting churches in America to raise support for his church in Kosovo. He always dreamed big – mostly for the people he mentored rather than for himself. He always wanted the people who were close to him to learn and succeed and that’s why he spent so much time acting as a father to his students.
On a very cold day on January 8th, almost everybody went to Pastor Skender’s funeral, to not only pay the respect but it almost seemed as we still wanted to believe that God was going to do a miracle right then. Unfortunately, for us, that did not become true.
The house where the family used to live is still burnt. Valbona and the kids are renting an apartment somewhere on the fifth floor with no elevator. Sarah and Deborah go to school every day and they’re doing a great job at studying. Valbona stays with Sion as she tries to figure out to find a place where they are going to call it home. Every single day when Valbona wakes up – it is hard for her to accept the reality. “I feel like he has gone somewhere and he will come back” – Valbona says.
Sundays are rough! There are times when no one shows up anymore: some of them are back to college, some work and some just haven’t made peace yet with the fact that our Pastor is gone.
Pastor Slemani tries to have Sunday service also with the church in Gjakova but there are times when it is difficult even for him since nobody wants to allow anyone to take Pastor Skender’s spot in their lives.
Meanwhile, the same applies to the English courses as well. No more students, no more English, no more Summer camps, no more visiting families and no more happily going out for coffee after Sunday service. As unfair as it seems this is the reality and we always trust that God is in control of everything. What we cannot comprehend He has already comprehended before we did exist.
Let us remind Pastor Skender’s family in our prayers. Also, continue praying for Debora as she gets to register for high school next Fall.
Please pray for Valbona and the kids to find comfort in Christ and for God to continually provide for them: financially and spiritually.
Please also keep praying as Balkans Partners is trying to get close to making a decision for a regular meeting place that is on the ground floor!
Life without my dad is so hard. Sometimes, I still can’t believe my dad is gone.
I wish my dad was here so that I could tell him how much I need him and how hard has been without him standing by my side. The last time I saw him was 230days ago. Almost 8months, and it feels like 8days and I carry his memory with me everywhere I go. My mind knows he’s in a better place, where there is no pain and no tears. I used to say ”I can’t imagine life without my dad” And now well; I don’t need to imagine it, I love and miss him every day.
My mind still talks to him, my heart still looks for him, my soul knows that he is at peace. Not a day goes by that I don’t look at his pictures and smile. We hold our dad close within our hearts and there he will remain, walking with us throughout our lives until we meet again. You’re not here to look at me, but I know you’re in heaven and your living spirit is listening to me. Even though I want you with my full strength and love, I still have to say thank you to God for ever day of your life. You made us proud. I promise you daddy that your pride will be build day by day and we are going to be what you always wanted us to be; educated, having good grades and always walking in God’s Word.
Life is like a storm that collides but when we know that we have someone important who leads us to where we are supposed to go and He is someone that found me when I did not know where to lean on and everything in my life had no meaning. Jesus was always there.
In 2000 I had a brochure in my hand with Bible stories. The first story that I started to read was the story of Jesus on the cross and God started to touch me through that story. Immediately I went and told someone that was close to me that I started to read something really interesting. I told them that this person whose name is Jesus is innocent and look how the people beat Him and mistreated Him. During the time that I shared that story something in my heart would move. However, because I was in a Muslim family, it was very hard to express myself.
One month I saw crowds of people coming at a restaurant in front of my house where I used to live. They were preaching from the Bible but I couldn’t go regularly even though it was close to where we used to live. Our dad was very difficult and I couldn’t dare to ask him if I could go join that group of people and see what they’re teaching. If I asked him if I could go there I knew that he was going to threaten me even with my life. A year passed by and I started listening to worship music and this would make me feel amazing. I couldn’t dare to read the Bible much because the mentality of my family was like that of my father. One day I was invited to a family meeting and I didn’t know that God made it possible for the man that I was supposed to marry to be invited there to that party. We introduced ourselves and he wanted me to have 10 minutes to talk to him. He told me that he likes me and that he had seen me 2 years ago but he didn’t have a chance to meet with me but he knew who I was.
He told me that he likes me a lot and knowing that he knew me very well he asked me to go out with him on a walk so that we can talk more. So we went and talked about a lot of things. However, after 2 weeks I saw him again because he came over to my family’s house in Peja and my family accepted him because I already told them about him. It was at that time that he proposed to me and he told me that he was very busy directing some children’s meeting and also was in charge of taking care of the church that he was staying at.
In 2002 we were engaged and after 3 months we were married. Life went by and I was the happiest person in the world because I was blessed in this marriage. God blessed us with three kids; two daughters and a son and it was a huge blessing for me. He was the Pastor of the Protestant Church and we were a very blessed family with our kids growing up but the years went by so fast.
One night in Dec 28th, 2016 an explosion and fire destroyed our church where we also used to live. The building was burned completely. The kids and I were safe but Skender wasn’t. He was in critical condition as we were trying to do everything we could to take him outside of the country for treatment. On January 8th, 2017 he died, God decided to take him by His side. Life is very hard without him.
He was a very good dad to our kids and to the church as well as a very amazing husband to me. We miss him more every day because it is very hard to live life without the other half of your body. We are trying to walk forward and God is taking care of us in a very amazing way and He keeps us in His hand so that we can be strong in Him alone.
Now we live in an apartment which we rent, but I know God has a plan for us as He has been providing every single need. He will also provide a home that will be ours. We are all praying.
– written by:Valbona Hoti
Supporting Christ's Church in Kosovo and the Balkans
This was the only time I met with him briefly.
